


Theseus and the Minotaur

by Miah_Arthur



Category: Haven - Fandom
Genre: First Time, M/M, Trouble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-09-05
Updated: 2014-09-22
Packaged: 2018-02-16 07:00:28
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,687
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2260302
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Miah_Arthur/pseuds/Miah_Arthur
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dwight is <i>definitely</i> not Ariadne.</p><p>(Update: There is now art to match!)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [tinypinkmouse](https://archiveofourown.org/users/tinypinkmouse/gifts).



> Update: There is now art! Roseveare11 made a very cool (PG) picture of Duke and Dwight. It is in Chapter 2. Also, if you click on the picture, it'll take you to a larger version on her site.
> 
> Set shortly after "Real Estate" 
> 
> Some dialogue is quoted from _The Minotaur_ by Nathaniel Hawthorne, published 1853 (public domain, but anyone who writes such fun purple prose deserves the credit for it.) I tried to match the style with the dialogue I added.
> 
> Thanks to Roseveare11 for beta reading this story and for the idea for the Trouble.

 

# Theseus and the Minotaur

 

Dwight waited until eight before approaching the _Cape Rouge_ out of deference to the fact that _The Grey Gull_ didn't close until midnight on weekdays. Duke was already up, lounging in a deck chair with coffee, reading a newspaper printed in Asian characters. Dwight paused at the edge of the dock. Considering how he had been behaving the last time he'd been on Duke's ship, he should probably ask before stepping onto the deck. Thinking about it, he wasn't sure how he hadn't seriously injured Duke hitting him in the head with the box. He'd _meant_ to hurt Duke after seeing what was inside that box.

He cleared his throat. Duke flipped the paper down. Seeing it was Dwight, he folded the paper and set it to the side, put his feet on the deck, and threw one arm 'casually' over the back of the chair. "Sasquatch! What are you doing here so early?"

"You don't need whatever weapon you have behind the chair. I came to ask a favor."

Duke dropped the purposefully casual posture, and leaned forward. "What do you have in mind?" Then he frowned. "You _can_ come aboard."

Dwight stepped onto the deck and leaned against some crates, taking a good look at Duke, letting his gaze linger more than strictly necessary.

"So, you wanted something?" Duke said, finally.

Dwight shook his head. He shouldn't be so blatant. "I prearrange certain things, just in case, and check on them once a month. I need an extra set of hands this month."

Duke looked at him, warily. "And I'm the guy that you came to for help?"

Dwight cocked an eyebrow at him. The sort of look that could be taken as 'I'm here, aren't I?' or something more suggestive. Duke's rakish good looks had intrigued Dwight, the first time Dwight had seen him, but until the recent Trouble with the man-animals he hadn't been able to really believe Duke would choose the side of the Troubled.

Something changed in Duke's expression. Surprise, and maybe interest, but he closed it off quickly, and said, "Sure. I'm up for helping out Haven's most mysterious Cleaner." He stood up and gathered his coffee and newspaper. "Let me put my boots on."

Dwight waited on the deck while Duke went inside. In only a few minutes they were leaving the town of Haven behind. Most of Dwight's distractions were well outside the town proper, the better to keep prying eyes away from whatever supernatural disaster the Troubles had thrown at Haven. He pointed out a few places he had marked trees to fall on power lines on the way. 

Duke didn't have much to say on the ride. It wasn't a heavy, nervous silence, just a comfortable 'we don't have to talk all the time' sort of silence. After his initial speech the night Dwight had broken in, he'd had been fairly quiet then, too. Maybe the bulk of his words were saved for the kind of performances Dwight had heard during that phone call the next morning. Comfortable silence wasn't something everyone could manage, and Dwight appreciated it all the more for its relative scarcity.

He turned onto a little side track off Klausen's Road. He had a log truck parked here, and the jacks he'd need to tip it over to block the major road into town, if he needed to. He came out every month, started it up, moved it back and forth a bit, made sure to park with a different part of the tires in contact with the ground. It was time for a more serious maintenance, and it was safer with two. He normally brought Jordan with him, but she really didn't like the woods, and this was an opportunity to get to know Duke a bit better.

He'd seen Duke working on the various parts of his boat, so he knew the guy knew something about mechanics and diesel engines. He pulled off the road beside the big truck. They got out, Duke standing by the door, and Dwight retrieving tools from the back, but keeping an eye on Duke's reaction. 

Duke looked between the truck and Dwight with incredulity. "You have a big rig parked in the woods. A loaded one. Just sitting out here."

"I might need to block the road someday."

Duke looked impressed, but then asked, "Wouldn't they look for the driver?"

"Probably, but it's not registered to anyone." Dwight moved to the side of the truck to get some items out of the tool box.

"Wait." Duke laughed. "You stole this truck, didn't you?"

"No. I paid cash, removed the serial numbers, and repainted it. Come on. Let's get to work."

Duke's gave him an appraising look, then shrugged. He moved closer to Dwight. His shoulder was almost brushing Dwight's–much closer than most men would have stood. "So what's on the agenda today?"

"Oil change, greasing, changing a tire, checking the hoses and wiring. You check the hoses and I'll get the grease out of the way. Then we can change the oil and the tire together."

"Whatever you say, Squatch." Duke patted Dwight's shoulder as he walked off toward the engine.

Dwight told himself not to read too much into it, the guy might just be that abnormally touchy-feely. It did happen sometimes, and he didn't want to set up a problem among the people in Haven dealing with the Troubles, if he was reading Duke the wrong way. It took three hours of hard work to get the maintenance completed, and by the end of it, he was more sure than ever that Duke was flirting and not just being casually invasive of his personal space.

Dwight passed Duke the degreaser goop and a shop rag, making sure that their fingers touched in the process. When they got back to the marina and Duke wasn't dependent on his transport to get back home, he'd pose the question. Not on the _Rouge_ , he didn't want to corner the guy in his his own home. 

Duke startled and dropped the shop rag. "Did you hear that?" he asked.

"The birds?"

"Must have been my imagination." Duke picked up the rag and quickly wiped the goop off his hands, leaving grease stains on his fingers. He pulled his overshirt and sweater back on, but his fingers fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, and he looked around uncomfortably. "You about ready to leave, Squatch?"

Dwight hurriedly finished with the degreaser, and locked down his toolbox. "What did you hear?"

"I'm not sure…" Duke stared off into the woods. "It sounds like a-a narrator." 

Dwight labeled anything that could rattle Duke this much as probably Trouble related. "Get in. We'll head back to town." Just getting out of the area might be enough to stop whatever it was.

Duke wrenched himself around to face the truck. He looked confused. "Dwight? Where are we, and what do these people have against pants? That's… That's an olive tree." He pointed at an maple.

"Duke. We haven't moved. You're seeing things."

Duke shook his head. "It's vivid. I can barely make out that the truck is not a tiny wooden boat."

Dwight shifted into Cleaning mode. He lowered his tone to one people usually found sincere and soothing, and moved slowly toward Duke with his hands open and held out to the side. "Just get in the truck, Duke. We'll figure this out."

Duke shook his head again, this time only a tiny motion. Then his expression and posture changed completely. This wasn't a man confused by what he was seeing. This was someone used to being in charge and not at all disturbed by what he was seeing. The look he finally turned on Dwight was one of mild interest.

"I think you are confused, stranger. I am not Duke, nor have I ever heard such a strange name. Unfortunately, I cannot attend to the problem of your missing friend, as I am compelled to remain here." 

Dwight decided to gather more information before using force on Duke, if the Trouble was compelling him to stay in place. He pulled his cell out to call Nathan to see if he'd been tracking a Trouble this morning, when Duke spun on his heel and marched down the road.

"Oh hell." Dwight shoved the phone back into his pocket and started after Duke. 

Duke veered off into the woods. Dwight grabbed his shoulder and stopped him. He wanted to ask Duke what was going on, but what came out was, "Young man, are you not appalled at the certainty of being devoured by this terrible Minotaur?"

The forest was overlain with a large room that had marble floors, colonnades, and intricate frescoes depicting nautical-themed patterns. He could see reality, but it wasn't easy. He tried to move, but found that he was frozen in place. People milled about and a gaggle of teens sobbed in one corner of the room. Duke was standing in front of him, exuding 'brave' and 'noble'. Those exact words popped into his mind to describe the stance. How that was even supposed to describe appearance Dwight didn't know, it just did.

"I have offered my life in a good cause,” answered Duke, "and therefore I give it freely and gladly. But thou, King Minos, art thou not thyself appalled, who, year after year, hast perpetrated this dreadful wrong, by giving seven innocent youths and as many maidens to be devoured by a monster? Dost thou not tremble, wicked king, to turn thine eyes inward on thine own heart? Sitting there on thy golden throne, and in thy robes of majesty, I tell thee to thy face, King Minos, thou art a more hideous monster than the Minotaur himself!"

"Aha! do you think me so?" cried Dwight, and laughter followed it. Laughing at the horribly cheesy dialogue, he could understand, but the Trouble kept right on using his voice. "Tomorrow, at breakfast time, you shall have an opportunity of judging which is the greater monster, the Minotaur or the king! Take them away, guards; and let this free-spoken youth be the Minotaur’s first morsel."

Then Dwight could hear the narrator Duke had mentioned. Perhaps he hadn't heard it before because his assigned character wasn't in the story yet. 

_Near the king’s throne (though I had no time to tell you so before) stood his daughter Ariadne. She was a beautiful and tender-hearted maiden, and looked at these poor doomed captives with very different feelings from those of the iron-breasted King Minos. She really wept indeed, at the idea of how much human happiness would be needlessly thrown away, by giving so many young people, in the first bloom and rose blossom of their lives, to be eaten up by a creature who, no doubt, would have preferred a fat ox, or even a large pig, to the plumpest of them. And when she beheld the brave, spirited figure of Prince Theseus bearing himself so calmly in his terrible peril, she grew a hundred times more pitiful than before. As the guards were taking him away, she flung herself at the king’s feet, and besought him to set all the captives free, and especially this one young man._

As the narrator spoke, Dwight found that he could move again. He tried speaking, and his own words, "We need to stay together, Duke." made it out, so not being directly in an action scene must equal a measure of freedom. Duke was sort of vacant through the narration. He wasn't supposed to be here in this scene. The girl the narrator had just described was more real than the rest of the scene. She was much more solid. He could feel her pawing at his feet. Despite the order King Minos had just given, none of the guards were moving to drag Duke away.

Then he was speaking again. "Peace, foolish girl! What hast thou to do with an affair like this? It is a matter of state policy, and therefore quite beyond thy weak comprehension. Go water thy flowers, and think no more of these Athenian caitiffs, whom the Minotaur shall as certainly eat up for breakfast as I will eat a partridge for my supper.”

This was getting ridiculous. What the hell was a 'caitiff'? The throne room and transparent set pieces began fading out, and Duke started struggling against the grip Dwight still had on him. 

"Nay, release me, foul villain!" 

Dwight braced himself for more nonsense to come out of his own mouth, but none did, so he reached for his handcuffs. Best to get Duke contained until they could figure out this Trouble.

There was a distant rumble like thunder that rolled closer at an incredible speed. The ground dropped out from beneath them. Dwight only had time for a fleeting vision of movement before he slammed into a solid surface. Debris from the ground he'd just been standing on pelted down on him.

 

 


	2. Chapter 2

 

Dwight groaned and sat up. Rubble tumbled off him. He did a quick check and decided he'd walk away with nothing more than a few bruises. The dust was beginning to settle out of the air and his eyes were adjusting to the dim light, but a quick look around didn't reveal Duke. 

"Duke?" 

While he waited for a response, Dwight patted his toolbelt to see what resources he had. Some tools were missing, but the large, heavy flashlight he'd used for finding the grease inserts under the truck was still there. He stood up and thumbed the switch. 

A spot of blue caught his attention–Duke's flannel shirt. Duke was lying several feet away, beyond the rubble Dwight had landed in. Duke's chest rose and fell, rhythmically, so there was no need to check his pulse. A quick visual inspection showed no immediate signs of injury. Calling his name, tapping his cheek, and shaking his shoulder brought no response. Dwight set the large flashlight down and retrieved his headlamp from his pocket. Hands free, he checked over Duke's head for signs he'd taken a blow. He found nothing and moved on to unbuttoning down through the layers of shirts Duke wore. The bottom layer was a Henle, so he unbuttoned the top to check Duke's chest and pulled the bottom up, still trying not to move Duke too much. No bleeding and no obvious bruising on his abdomen. 

He debated with himself whether to roll Duke over or worry about possible spinal injuries, but decided to leave him for now. He trotted back over to the hole. He blinked up at it. When he left the spot only a few moments ago, the tunnel was no more than eight feet deep. He'd thought that at worst, he'd need to pile some of the rocks that had fallen with him to be able to climb out. Now the ceiling was at least twenty feet high. 

He hoped whatever Trouble was at work was limited in scope. Not many people lived out here, and he knew the Troubles of most of them, so that probably made that a vain hope. He knew of a few Troubles that could manifest stories, but none of those people were unduly obsessed with Greek myths and none of their Troubles had a history of coercing people to play parts. 

He reached up, and then jumped up with outstretched arms, just in case the new distance was an illusion, but touched nothing. He checked his cell for reception. It blinked between one and two bars. He dialed Nathan's number, doubtfully. 'Call cannot be completed'. Maybe a text could get through. He typed in, _Off Klausen's Rd, 2 mi past McHenry's. Trapped. Tunnel. Trouble. Duke needs evac._ He hit send and held the phone up as high as he could. It took a while, but the message sent. He sent a copy of it to Jordan as well. He left the phone sitting on top of the biggest rock for reception and went back to Duke.

No change. He didn't trust the distant rumbling and occasional shudders he felt. If the hole could suddenly get deeper, something could open up and prevent them from getting back to it. He hoisted Duke by the armpits and dragged him to the entrance. He hadn't gotten a return message. 

Dwight checked over Duke again, in the better light. He still didn't find anything wrong. It was almost like Duke was just sleeping. Reaching up, he checked the entire perimeter of the tunnel under the breach, just to make sure. He could have jumped up into the opening before in his hurry. He hadn't missed the height being an illusion. He finally ran out of things to do, and sat down next to Duke to wait. After another five minutes, Duke sat up. 

“Yes,” Duke said, staring at Dwight. “With so little time to live, I do not choose to waste any of it in sleep.”

"Duke?" Dwight mentally smacked himself. If Duke was free of the Trouble, he wouldn't have said that.

"Nay, I will not flee Crete and abandon my fellow hostages. Not while the Minotaur yet lives. I must free Athens of this dread tribute."

"So you're still stuck as Theseus. I suppose Minos' part of the story is done." Based on his own experience as Minos, he assumed that Duke could still hear reality.

Duke stood up. He bowed and offered Dwight a hand up. He kissed Dwight's hand and then caught both of Dwight's hands and held them daintily by the fingers. "You know that I am Prince Theseus of Athens. What ails you, Ariadne?" It didn't seem to phase him that he was craning his neck up to look into Dwight's eyes. 

Duke froze. Dwight pulled his hands free and pinched the bridge of his nose. This was going to be a long day. 

Duke looked around, confusion evident in his expression. Then he looked down at his unbuttoned clothing. "What the hell, Sasquatch?" Duke eyed Dwight suspiciously. "When did you undress me?"

"You were unresponsive." 

Duke pulled his shirts together and crossed his arms. "This Trouble created the Labyrinth."

"Yep."

He sat down heavily. "So I'm Theseus. You were Minos and maybe now you're Ariadne. Who's the Minotaur?"

"I am _not_ Ariadne."

"I saw… Oh. Yeah." Duke's gaze traveled up and down Dwight. "Yeah, you're _definitely_ not Ariadne. But really? No compulsion to act the part; say her lines?"

Dwight shook his head. "Nuh uh. Looks like Minos is out of the story now."

"That is so not fair!"

"You're not affected right now. Maybe it's over." Dwight reached for his handcuffs at the back of his belt. They were gone. _Right_. He'd had them in his hand when the ground dropped out from under them.

"Wait. You can't hear that? The narrator is describing the Minotaur into being!" Duke gestured at the air around them.

Dwight shook his head. Of course this wasn't over. Duke was the main character. This might be the only breather they got with him not compelled by the story. The zip ties were also missing. Dwight scanned the floor for the missing items.

"Theseus and Ariadne will be back in the story soon." Duke's gaze idled over Dwight again. "Maybe because you _really_ aren't an Ariadne, you get to miss it."

Dwight wondered briefly if that was Duke seeing _him_ , or the influence of Theseus seeing Ariadne, but he shook it off and kept searching. "Do you remember falling in here?"

"I heard, 'Theseus slept.' Next thing I knew Ariadne was waking me up."

That explained the earlier lack of response. Dwight started shuffling through the debris from the fallen roof.

A monstrous bellow vibrated the smaller rocks on the floor. Duke closed his eyes and swallowed. Then he opened them and smiled. "Hey, I get to be a Greek Hero in this one!"

"Didn't they all die tragically?" That sounded like a real monster. Dwight really didn't remember much beyond the names in the story of the Minotaur. It was killed at the end, right? Not such a bad thing if it was no more real than Ariadne. Not good if it was another citizen of Haven trapped like Duke. Whether it was a possessed Havenite or a monster created like the Labyrinth, not fighting it would definitely be preferable.

"Not Theseus. He founded Athens, or was their biggest hero or something like that." Duke watched Dwight searching. "What are you looking for?" 

"Handcuffs." Dwight finally spied them under a rock.

"I don't think tying me up is going to do any good. The Trouble created the Labyrinth in Haven. It can get around handcuffs."

"It'll slow it down. Give the others time to find the Troubled person and stop them."

"Unless it decides to sub in a new Theseus. Then you go charging off leaving me here tied up." Duke raised an eyebrow suggestively. "Which is not nearly as much fun alone."

Dwight was still considering that possibility–and trying not to be distracted by thoughts of bondage in bed–when a large ball of string suddenly appeared in Duke's hands. Without another word, he tied one end of it to the nearest rock. Then he sprang to his feet and planted his lips against Dwight's so fast Dwight didn't even manage to get his hands up. 

Duke pulled away and said, "Farewell, sweet Ariadne, do not despair of me for I shall kill the foul Minotaur!"

Dwight grabbed for Duke, but only caught the layers of over shirts. Duke shrugged out of them. The air around Duke got foggy for a few seconds. When it cleared, Duke was wearing sandals and a very short tunic. A leaf shaped sword less than two feet long appeared at his left hip, suspended by a belt-like strap crossed diagonal over his chest. And something like a blanket pinned at his shoulder and hung over one arm.

"I will hold fast to this string, my brave Theseus," a woman's voice said. "Only hurry before my father finds that I have brought you here."

Dwight turned slowly. The rock that Duke had tied the string to was gone. In it's place stood Ariadne. She had the string tied to her wrist, but was also clutching it tightly in her dainty hand. She was wearing a long, almost sheer gown. It pinned together at the shoulders, and had an open seam all the way down the right side of her body that left very little to the imagination.

Duke gave a jaunty salute that was more in keeping with himself than what Dwight expected from an ancient Greek character. It could be Duke's signal he was still aware, or a natural affinity for the role. Dwight shrugged and followed Duke away from the Ariadne stone.

They turned a corner and passed openings for two other tunnels. Dwight was glad they had the string. Time to slow this down. "Duke!" 

The other man didn't even twitch. Not that unexpected. "Theseus!"

Duke stopped and looked around nervously. He shrugged and stepped forward again. So he could react to the name, but not the sight of someone not in the story. At least not when there was no interference with the story. 

[ ](http://ic.pics.livejournal.com/roseveare/716494/835492/835492_original.png)

Dwight clamped a hand onto Duke's shoulder, jerking him to a stop. "Theseus, stop!"

"What manner of creature are you?" Duke shouted. "More foul beasts besides the Minotaur lurk in this Labyrinth!"

Duke tried to draw the sword with his left hand, but it was awkward with the sword hanging on his left side. Apparently the Trouble hadn't changed his dominant hand. Dwight released Duke's shoulder and backed away. Duke gave up on the sword and settled back into marching along the tunnel.

What Duke had said before about the Trouble switching targets was all too real a possibility. Dwight couldn't trust that he'd get enough time, between taking Duke down with the Taser and the Trouble trying to seize control of him in Duke's place, to cuff them together. Even if he did connect them, it had transformed Duke's clothes, it could make the cuffs disappear, leaving Duke incapacitated and alone in these tunnels.

So much for that tactic. A better option would be to delay and hope that Nathan and Audrey or Jordan and the Guard figured it out. Dwight delayed. He interrupted Theseus' journey as often as he dared. The roaring of the Minotaur continued off and on, but closer each time. Dwight harassed Theseus more urgently, until finally, he did seriously come after him with the sword. Dwight didn't want to draw Duke into a fight, so he backed off a little.

 


	3. Chapter 3

 

They turned another corner, and Dwight felt the vibration of the next roar through the soles of his feet. Dust shook loose from the ceiling and pattered onto his head. The roar settled into a stream of guttural words. The heavy clacking of hooves echoed down the hall. All his delays had not kept them from the lair of the Minotaur.

Duke/Theseus took his sword in his left hand, and wrapped the blanket garment around his right arm as a makeshift shield. Dwight expected him to charge in, but instead he stopped just out of sight of anything in the room and listened. The words still meant nothing to Dwight, but an expression of understanding, and then of disgust appeared on Duke's face.

Finally he crept around the corner. Dwight followed closely, dropping the bundle of Duke's shirts inside the door. The Minotaur was huge–easily nine feet tall. It was more bull-like than he had expected. The chest, arms, and upper legs were huge, but human. The knees and lower legs were twisted backwards like a satyrs, and of course it had a large bovine head, complete with a metal nose ring. The whole body seemed to be covered with short fur. 

It paced at the other end of the long room, unaware of their presence for several long moments. Then Duke opened his mouth.

"Face me, foul beast! You will be the bane of my people no more!"

The monster roared, and the sound modulated to something that almost formed words. Dwight wasn't sure if he was really understanding the garbled syllables, but something inserted, "Puny mortal! I will kill you! I will eat you!" into his mind.

Before Dwight had a chance to wonder where that came from, the Minotaur lowered its head and charged. Pebbles on the cavern floor rattled with the impact of its hooves as it picked up speed. Duke/Theseus stood his ground in front of it, holding out to the last second and then leaping aside. His sword flashed as it sank into the creature's flank.

The Minotaur wasn't slowed by Duke's strike and its freight train-like passage wrenched the sword from Duke's grip. The Minotaur skidded to a stop, its bellowing taking on notes of pain and frustration. It spun around, eyes rolling in their sockets, spit and foam trailing from its mouth. The eyes focused on Duke, unarmed now and holding his left arm tight against his chest. It laughed. 

The sound was pure malice. It sent shivers skittering up Dwight's spine, and fear coiling in his belly. Not sensations he often admitted to. Theseus stood his ground, his expression and stance defiant, but his eyes were wild, and Dwight figured Duke was affected at least as badly as he was. That shook him out of his inertia. Dwight pulled his taser out of its holster and fired it at the Minotaur as it started its second charge. 

It kept running, forcing Dwight to run with it to keep the wires from snapping or the taser being pulled from his grasp. The shock didn't seem to slow the monster down. Duke mistimed his leap. He cried out in pain and fell to the side. The blanket garment tangled on the Minotaur's horns, and dragged Duke a few feet before pulling free. The blanket covered the Minotaur's eyes, so it didn't stop and make use of its advantage. It plowed into the wall at full speed with a resounding crack.

It staggered backward, still hunched over from its charge, shaking its head. The blanket fell to the floor. Dwight dropped the taser and rushed the Minotaur before it could get its bearings again. He tackled it, ramming it into the wall again with another loud crack. One of its horns snapped off and fell to the ground. The Minotaur staggered back again, bellowing in pain, and swatted Dwight away with one giant fist. He hit the ground hard, knocking the breath out of him, and everything dimmed for a few seconds. 

Duke let out a momentous warcry. Dwight struggled to get his breathing back in line as fast as he could. Theseus might have faced that monster alone and won, but Duke wasn't a Greek Hero with almost magical powers. Dwight couldn't leave him to face the monster alone. He struggled to his feet, still trying to catch his breath. He was just in time to see Duke pushed away and slammed into a wall. 

The Minotaur spun in place, arms held out as if it was searching. Blood gushed down its face from the broken horn, effectively blinding it. Blood was dripping down its side as well. Duke pushed himself back to his feet, using the wall for leverage. He smiled grimly. 

He held the sword in a two-handed grip at shoulder level and charged the beast, using all his momentum to slam it into the Minotaur's stomach. It roared and bucked. Duke held on, dragging the sword back and forth in the wound. The Minotaur reached for Duke's head with one massive hand. Dwight charged the monster again, knocking it off-balance. It staggered to the side and fell to the floor with a mighty crash.

Duke heaved back on the sword, yanking it free. He swung it down onto the monster's neck, and in a clearly story-driven event, severed the head in one blow. Duke dropped the sword and fell to his knees, chest heaving. As Dwight watched, the Minotaur transformed from a monster to a pile of rocks. 

Dwight breathed a sigh of relief for that. They hadn't killed a person here. Duke's tunic and arms were splashed with red and he was shaking. Dwight grabbed the bundle of shirts and went to Duke. Maybe, if they were lucky, that was the end of the story compelling him to act. Right now though, enough time for first aid would do.

Dwight approached cautiously. If Duke was hurt, and still Theseus, he didn't want to aggravate the injuries by starting another fight. Maybe if he claimed to be another Greek–problem was he didn't really know very many Greek names. Most of the ones he did know were from that Hercules TV show with Kevin Sorbo, and Theseus probably wouldn't react well to Hercules. The sidekick from that story might work.

Duke hadn't reacted to his approach. Given that Dwight was pretty sure Duke would have something to say about the situation by now if he was back to himself, that was a good sign that Theseus was still in charge. Worth a try, though. "Duke?"

No response. "Theseus?" Still nothing. Maybe this was more like the beginning of the story when Duke had been unresponsive, and he had worried about coming up with a Greek alias for nothing. He cautiously put a hand on Duke's shoulder. 

When that brought no response, Dwight moved into speed first aid mode. Who knew how long this would last? He wrapped one arm around Duke's shoulders and guided him down onto his back. The tunic was cinched around Duke's waist with a length of rope, and a tear in the material showed a gash in Duke's side. Dwight untied the rope, and tugged the tunic up over Duke's hips. 

Huh. Apparently Greeks didn't believe in underwear. He used one of Duke's shirts to wipe away the blood. The injury wasn't as bad as it could have been. Probably a few stitches, but Duke was definitely a lucky man. He rolled the flannel shirt up, slid it under Duke's back, and tied it. A quick check revealed no other wounds, so he pulled the tunic back down.

At the rate he'd been undressing Duke while the guy was unconscious, Duke was never going to trust him. That definitely wasn't how he'd imagined his first view of Duke naked would go. 

Dwight didn't have as long to wait, this time. The ball of string reappeared in Duke's hand, and he immediately scrambled to his feet and followed the string out of the room.

Dwight sighed, grabbed Duke's sweater, and followed. At least they weren't heading toward a monster this time. They had almost made it back to the opening in the roof when Duke fell like a puppet with its strings cut. Speaking of string, the ball of thread disappeared, along with the trail they had been following, and the tunic and sandals reverted back to jeans and boots. His shirt must have been the blanket that had been left behind in the Minotaur's lair, because he was now shirtless.

Dwight waited for a few seconds. When Duke didn't move, he knelt beside him, intending to check his pulse. Just as Dwight leaned over him, Duke sucked in a deep breath and his eyes snapped open. They locked on Dwight, and before Dwight could register Duke's intention, Duke had wrapped both arms around his neck and kissed him full on the mouth.

Dwight jerked back, dragging Duke with him. The kiss didn't stop, and oh-god-did-Duke-know how-to-kiss. A little voice at the back of his mind tried to tell him to stop, that this was just a leftover from the Trouble, and Duke was probably about to call him Ariadne again, but he ignored that voice and returned the kiss.

Duke finally broke off the kiss. They stared at each other for a few seconds, Duke subtly growing tenser. 

Then Dwight cleared his throat, "Uh…" He hadn't gotten any further into formulating a coherent sentence when Duke leaned away, wrapping his arms around himself, and turned his head, not making eye-contact. That little voice groaned loudly in Dwight's mind. He leaned further away from Duke, giving him more space. Duke was flushed, and the bulge in his pants spoke volumes, but it still didn't mean Duke had been in his right mind during that kiss.

"So was that you or Theseus?" Dwight asked, his voice gruff with nerves. 

Duke's head jerked back to the front, and he gave Dwight a critical look before he scrambled to his feet and backed away. He looked ready to run even further, but he held his ground and said, "That was definitely not Theseus."

Dwight still knelt exactly as he had when Duke had kissed him. The guy was skittish enough. Staying where he was seemed like the least threatening move. "In case you didn't notice, I kissed you back. I'm not about to hurt you. It's actually pretty insulting that you think I would."

Duke relaxed and moved forward enough to offer Dwight a hand up. "Yeah, it's not like you aren't huge and capable of kicking my ass unless I managed to draw blood." Duke rubbed his right arm absently, "You wouldn't be the first to get...offended."

"I'm grown-up enough to use my words if I get offended." Dwight put his hand on Duke's shoulder. "So, you are, uh, you're a _damn_ good kisser."

Duke wasn't quite settled, but he did lean into the touch. "Didn't know you liked men, Sasquatch."

"There've been a couple I looked at this way. What about you? You date women in Haven. I haven't heard anything differently."

"You really keep up that level of detail on all of Haven, or did you do your homework?" Duke was still wary, holding back.

Dwight chuckled. "Homework."

"It's easier to find women in Haven than to find men." He paused and shuffled his feet. Dwight decided he liked seeing a more vulnerable side of Duke. "For casual flings, it's just simpler to not have to deal with a town that flocks to a church like the Rev's knowing exactly how _flexible_ I am."

"Is that what you are looking for? A casual fling?" Now it was his turn to get a bit nervous. He hoped he hadn't exposed himself this much only for Duke to say his only interest in men was one-night stands.

The look on Duke's face said pretty much the same thing. "No," he said slowly, "but I'm not looking to pick out curtains with anyone at this point either."

"There's a lot of ground between fling and marriage. Something steady and _fun_ sounds about right."

Duke was quiet for a while. Then he nodded. "That could work."

They stood there staring at each other, Dwight's hand on Duke's shoulder, long enough for it to get awkward. Duke finally said, "So you have a thing for undressing me while I'm unconscious?" His hand waved over the shirt tied around him. He was smirking.

Dwight pulled him into a careful hug and whispered, "I'd rather undress you when you're awake."

"Considering that the freaking Minotaur tried to impale me with its horn, this doesn't hurt that much. Is it going to cause a problem?"

"A few stitches. You were lucky."

"Good. How about tonight. The _Cape Rouge_. Food, and then we _both_ end up naked."

The tunnels shook around them, then a distant Earth rending clash reached their ears from the direction of the Minotaur's lair. Dwight looked at Duke. "We've got to get back to where we fell through. I think the Trouble is ending. We don't want to be in a non-existent tunnel when it does."

Duke peered frantically at the different tunnels. "Do you know the way out? Theseus didn't pay attention to where he was going. He just _knew_!"

"It's not far. Come on!" Dwight took Duke's hand and dragged him forward. The marks he had left on the walls were still clear. The tunnels behind them were definitely snapping closed now. They skidded to a stop under the opening in the ceiling. It was still twenty feet from the floor.

Dwight looked down at Duke. "That date would have been great, Duke." 

Duke nodded. He pulled Dwight down into another kiss. A rope slapped down onto their faces.

"Hey if you two are done making out, how about you grab the rope and get out of there?"

 


	4. Chapter 4

 

" _Jordan?_ " Dwight yelled up at the hole in the ceiling. 

"If you can both hold the rope, this winch should pull you both out. That collapse is getting closer."

They both held tight to the rope and with the sound of a winch engine revving, they began moving up. The rope was over a sturdy branch that crossed directly above the hole, and pulled them up high enough that when the ground snapped back into its pre-Trouble state, their toes were swinging a foot above it and getting higher.

They dropped down, and without a word stepped away from the spot. Jordan had moved Dwight's truck up for the rescue. She tossed his spare key at him. At least she hadn't hot-wired it, though maybe he should reconsider that magnetic key-holder under the back bumper. Or maybe not. It had saved them today.

Jordan was kind enough to not comment further on what she'd seen. At least for now. Dwight figured he was in for a lecture about his choosing a Crocker as soon as they were alone. For now she handed Dwight the first aid kit and silently watched him pile more gauze on top of the shirt he'd tied on Duke earlier. The escape had started it bleeding again.

Jordan rolled her eyes at him when he wrapped his coat around Duke's shoulders. Duke pulled it in snug and smiled up at Dwight. The sweater had been dropped while they were running. What were the odds that the guy wearing four layers of tops would end up without one by the end of the day? 

"I assume you're going to want to take lover boy here to the hospital," Jordan said. Duke coughed and looked distinctly embarrassed. She ignored him. "You should probably follow me back into town. People were working on fortifications for defending Troy all day." 

"How did you get free of the Trouble?" Dwight asked.

"I was Cassandra. A few prophecies that no one believed and then Vince, as King Priam, had me locked in the Freddie. After that I was in control again. I saw your message and realized that with Nathan playing the part of that idiot Paris and trying to kidnap _Audrey Parker_ all day, I better check on you, so I convinced the jailers that they _really_ didn't want to keep me there."

"Nothing permanent?" Dwight asked, looking Jordan in the eye.

"They were easily convinced." Pain crept into her eyes. Jordan really didn't enjoy hurting people. He'd hear about that the next time they were alone, too.

Duke stood up. A mischievous gleam was in his eyes. "Nathan was Paris?"

"So?" Dwight asked.

"I can't wait to tell him I was Theseus while he was stuck as Paris." He stopped and glanced at Dwight, a look of guilt flashing across his face. 

Dwight wasn't sure if that was a statement on Duke and Nathan's past relationships or Duke being unsure how the mischief would be taken.

Jordan looked between the two men, and said, "Okay. So I'm heading back to Haven now. You can follow me if you want."

Duke seemed grateful for the distraction and was in the truck before anyone could say anything else. Dwight got a Raised Eyebrow from Jordan before she got into her vehicle. It was already turned around. She must have had to move it to get the winch into place. 

As they started back, Duke was quiet again, but the silence was less comfortable this time. The adrenaline had worn off, and Dwight was beginning to feel all the falls he had taken. Duke had to be getting that worse, but Dwight didn't think that was the reason for the discomfort.

Once they were back on the highway and the ride had smoothed out, Dwight said, "It's no secret that we both have people in our past. As long as sex with them stays in the past, I've got no problem with that. We can talk about them or not, whatever you're comfortable with."

Duke's expression was surprised, but then he smiled. "That works for me."

The tension left the silence and Dwight enjoyed the quiet of the rest of the ride.

* * *

Dwight stood at the edge of the dock, bags of take-out in one hand. It might be silly, but he felt like he should be ringing a doorbell and not just marching onto a guy's home. He still felt somewhat awkward about that break-in. It was compounded by nerves. He hadn't had a date in years.

He was about to call Duke, when he heard, "Sasquatch!" Duke stepped onto the platform beside the dock. "You have permission to step aboard the _Cape Rouge_ anytime from here on out."

Dwight smiled gratefully and followed Duke inside. Duke was wearing tight jeans and a white button-up, only halfway buttoned over a light grey t-shirt. The layered look was apparently just part of Duke's style. 

Inside, the lights were dimmed. Duke stopped at a stereo and gestured a question at Dwight.

"We-ell. The standard thing to say on a date would be Jazz, right?"

"Yeah." He said with a sigh and started to adjust the dial.

"Really, though," Dwight said, "I can't stand that stuff." Duke looked relieved. "Do you have any Rob Zombie?"

Duke chuckled. "That I do." An eerie wail followed by a heavy drumbeat and then, _Dead I am the one…_ Duke rolled it down enough that it wouldn't interfere with them talking. "Ready to eat?"

Duke had offered to cook, but by the time they had gotten out of the ER, he'd agreed on seafood from The Bay Restaurant. He dished the food from the styrofoam boxes to real plates, and poured a sweet Riesling wine. 

Dwight kept an observant eye on Duke throughout, judging how much effect the injury had. He seemed to be fine. Dwight didn't notice any favoring of that side, which was a good sign for later.

They talked about favorites and other general getting-to-know-you topics. Dinner transitioned into beers and poker. 

About eight hands later, Dwight thought he finally had a winning hand. Duke grinned at him from across the table. "How about a little wager to make this more interesting?"

Dwight looked at the five diamonds he held. "Sure."

"Winner arranges the next date. Loser has to go along with whatever the winner comes up with."

Dwight nodded. It was kind of an odd wager, but he could come up with something nice. "I'll take that bet."

They turned the cards over and Duke hit him with four of a kind. 

"I thought I finally had you!" Dwight howled. 

Duke came around the table and leaned over Dwight, kissing him again. All thoughts of playing cards left Dwight's mind. Duke's hands ran through Dwight's hair, over his arms, his chest. Dwight shifted to relieve the growing pressure in his jeans. He fumbled with the buttons on Duke's shirt, his hands as clumsy as any first-time teenager.

Duke whispered breathily, "Bedroom."

Dwight nodded fervently. He found his hand caught up and tugged along as Duke stood. In the bedroom, Dwight stripped his clothes quickly, then watched Duke shimmy out of the tight jeans. The patch of gauze and tape stood out sharply against his skin. They stood regarding one another for a while until Duke closed the distance between them. 

Dwight hesitated, unsure of how to say what he liked. He swallowed nervously. It might take time to work up to it. Duke moved first, tilting his head up and giving Dwight another one of those mind-melting kisses. His hands were roaming, but still 'above the belt' so to speak. "Not used to being the short one," he muttered. "You good with this?"

Dwight nodded again. "Oh yeah."

"I'm not pushing? I imagined you'd be more…" He trailed off, and waved a hand over Dwight's muscled chest.

Dwight caressed Duke's cheek."You're being perfect, Duke."

He leaned into the touch and grinned. "So, you like someone else taking the lead?"

Dwight closed his eyes and leaned against Duke's chest, who wrapped him into a tight hug. "Yes. Please." No one had ever gotten that so easily, with no drama or snickering from his partner. Someone his size was _expected_ to be dominant in bed. Dwight jerked back, concerned. "If you're good with that."

Duke looked him in the eye. "I'm completely good with that." 

Dwight sighed with relief. It was rare for him to ever get a break from being the one people looked to, to be the competent one, the one with the answers, the one that could be relied on to fix everything. It seemed like it had been that way for as long as he could remember. 'Go ask Dwight, he'll know what to do.' 'Don't worry, Dwight will fix this.' 'Dwight's here now, we can stop worrying.' He wasn't complaining. He liked being the guy others could depend on, but sometimes he yearned to let someone else take over. Nothing satisfied that need more than someone else leading in bed.

Duke kissed along Dwight's jawline, ending next to his ear. "You'll tell me to stop if you don't like what I'm doing?"

"Absolutely."

Dwight gasped as Duke nipped at his pulse point and cupped his balls at the same time. 

"You like that? You like it when I play with your balls?" Duke's voice was low, just loud enough to be heard.

Dwight groaned. "Yeah." 

Duke slowly pushed him onto the bed, and nudged Dwight's legs apart, crawling over the top of him until their dicks were trapped between their bodies. Dwight hadn't seen him put the lube on, but the smooth slide as Duke shifted his hips sent shudders through him.

Duke was a solid weight above him, all hard planes of muscle, and the rough scraping of facial hair. Duke kept up a slow pace with his hips, enough to keep Dwight rock hard, but not in danger of ending the night before it started. They kissed, and Dwight lost himself in the sensation. 

Duke leaned toward Dwight's ear, and then shifted up so he could reach, and whispered "I'm going to suck you until you think you're going to explode. Then I'm going to fuck you and make you come so hard you see stars."

Dwight nodded, but when Duke stilled over him, he realized it was as much asking permission as it was dirty talk. He pulled Duke's head over facing him and said, "Yes."

Duke was as good at blow jobs as he was at kissing. Dwight was held right on the edge without letting him go over. He heard the cap of the lube bottle snap open and thought it was over, but Duke kept going with barely a break in rhythm as he started prepping. Dwight was a writhing, moaning mess. He knew he wasn't going to last much longer when Duke's mouth was suddenly gone. 

Dwight groaned with frustration. He opened his eyes and watched Duke applying a condom and drizzling more lube on it. 

A pillow landed beside him. "Put it under your hips," Duke said. "I can't lift with stitches."

Concern brought Dwight down from the sex haze.

Duke grinned at him. "Don't give me that worrying, responsible look. I'm good." He scooted up between Dwight's knees, hands rubbing, soothing. He waited until Dwight nodded, then lined himself up and pushed in slowly. 

Dwight grunted at the burn even after all the prep. It had been a long time and Duke wasn't small, but he adjusted and relaxed. Duke thrust slowly, gently, and the abandon crept back in, replacing worry. As the thrusts got more energetic, Dwight threw his head back and let himself just enjoy.

Duke shifted his angle and the world almost whited out around Dwight. When Duke began stroking him in time with the thrusts, a twist around the head coinciding with the pressure on his prostate, Dwight knew he wasn't going to last long. Duke kept pumping his hand until Dwight was completely spent. Just a few more hard thrusts and Duke was coming. 

Dwight watched Duke with his head back, eyes closed, sweat gleaming in the light, body taut–a picture of ecstasy. Then the moment was over. Duke grasped the condom as he pulled out still semi-hard. He threw it away, and grabbed his t-shirt off the side table. He wiped his hand clean and then offered the shirt to Dwight for clean up. He flopped onto his back, breathing heavily.

Dwight finished with the shirt and let it slide to to the floor. Duke had recovered enough to roll up onto his side and smile. Dwight kissed him languidly. They ended up with Duke sprawled half across Dwight's chest with his chin propped on one arm, while Dwight ran his fingers through Duke's hair.

"That was perfect," Dwight murmured.

"It can be a regular thing." Duke's voice held just a note of uncertainty. Not quite enough to make it a question, but it didn't hold enough confidence to really make it a statement either. 

"We can do this anytime you want."

Duke grinned, that spark of mischief back in his eyes. "Assuming no Trouble interference, you'll be ready to honor that bet, say, Thursday at eight?"

Dwight chuckled and nodded. "No choice, right?"

"You won't regret it."

Dwight pulled Duke up for a long kiss, then declared. "Neither of us will."

 

[The End]

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know fade-to-black was the request, but plot wanted to accompany them to bed, and it was just too tempting. Hopefully Tinypinkmouse can forgive me. 
> 
> There may be art linked to this after the names are revealed.


End file.
